Linda Hutcheon: Theories Of Culture, Ethnicity, And Postmodernism

Abstract

The life and work of Linda Hutcheon has many ironies. It is unusual for the daughter of Italian immigrants to become a professor at the University of Toronto. All the more so since Italian women of her generation were not encouraged to go to university at all. It is even more unusual to develop in the short span of 12 years such a diverse and creative body of work: eight volumes on subjects such as metafiction, formalism and the Freudian aesthetic, parody, and post-modern theory and fiction. More recently she has focused on feminist writing and theory, ethnic minority writing, and irony. More unusual still is for such a wide-ranging body of work to evolve into a hitherto unperceived unity. As a university student, Linda did not follow a safe and predictable career. Rather, she pursued personal interests: B.A. in Italian and English (1969), M.A. in Italian (1971), Ph.D. in Comparative Literature (1975). Because of her ethnic background and her personal inclinations, Linda was naturally drawn to the study of literature in a broader context than that found in traditional English programs.She has brought this interdisciplinary approach to her teaching and her books. Ironically, the time she has expended on creating this diverse and sophisticated body of work has not detracted from the energy and enthusiasm she puts into teaching her Comparative Literature and English courses at the University of Toronto. Her classes are overflowing, and students vie to have her as a thesis supervisor. Professor Hutcheon's achievements are eloquent testimony to the argument that research and teaching are symbiotic activities.